Europa League August 23 Atromitos vs Newcastle United

English teams had little success in Europa League and this has little to do with the quality of these squads, and more with their lack of motivation. While it is easy to explain why giants such as Manchester United or City found it hard to focus on a competition they regarded as second-best, Newcastle will definitely do its best to win every game.

Match: Atromitos vs Newcastle United

Bet: Newcastle United

Odds: Pinnacle 2.12

Atromitos surprised everybody by finishing the previous season on the fourth place, tied with PAOK and will play for the first time in the club’s history in a European competition. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the hosts, and pressure can alter the performance of its rather inexperienced players. The hosts know that in order to advance to the group stage, they need to take advantage of the special conditions in Athens and win the first leg.

Young players get the chance to shine

While the hosts regard this as the most important game in their 90 years history, Newcastle will field a team featuring mostly young players. Following the 2-1 victory over Tottenham, they prepare for Saturday’s fixture against Chelsea and coach Pardew chose to rest most of his first-teamers. This sounds terrible on paper and many punters might be tempted to lay the visitors, but this would be a mistake given the quality of Newcastle’s squads.

Adam Campbell is probably one of the best young players in the Premier League and he will play alongside a couple of other promising rookies. Vurnon Anita, Romain Amalfitano and Gael Bigirimana joined Newcastle this summer and all of them are anxious to prove that they deserve a spot in the rotation. For many of them this is the best chance they’ve got to prove the coach that they have what it takes to compete against the best teams in the Premier League.

BetPal Tip:

The hosts have 12,000 fans behind them and are more used to playing at temperatures that exceed 40°, but this is pretty much where their edge ends. While some of the regular starters will stay at home and rest for the crucial match against Chelsea, Newcastle still has enough options upfront to give the Greeks a run for their money. Speaking of which, Pinnacle Sports presents us with a unique opportunity to make some cash, by offering odds of 2.12 for an away victory.

Author

Florin Paguba

"For a European fascinated by US leagues such as MLB and NHL, it is pretty disheartening to know that television and internet broadcasts are the closest you’ll get to the real thing. Luckily, this didn’t have a deterring effect on my resolve and there I was covering both baseball and hockey for y..."